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Paul Waugh on the difference LibDems are making

Paul Waugh’s article ‘He Who Libs wins’ takes a look at the difference LibDems are making in government. Yes – it is a nice article about LibDems. Given the amount of flack we take for being in government – it is good to see some recognition of the benefits of having us there.

“On gay marriage and civil partnerships for unmarried heterosexuals, Lynne Featherstone is delivering a policy that infuriates the Tory rank and file. IDS and the PM both have a strong belief in the power of marriage, but it’s not clear that this is exactly what either had in mind.”

What exactly is your policy which apparently infuriates the Tory rank and file? Is is anything more than a carefully calculated, but essentially empty promise for something to happen at some unspecified time in the future? In fact you suggested to the Christian Press that there was no need to worry as it would take years for any changes.

You are not taking flak for “being in government”. Not that you were elected to be so.

You are taking flak for the supine way that you and your Lib Dem colleagues are following dogmatic, ideologically based policies that will do untold damage to our country, our NHS and its future generations.

You are allowing yourself to be suckered into doing this by agreeing to blame the previous government- remember them- the ones who were actually elected- when you know full well that there has been a global economic catastrophe caused largely by greed- and by the very kind of people you sit at cabinet with.

And now you want to tell us that it was you and your colleagues who stopped the forests being sold off, who have pulled back a bit from the most right wing ideas on housing benefit etc etc.

What absolute piffle.

U turns and reversals of policy have everything to do with public opposition to policies that have been thought out on the back of a cigarette pack and pushed through with the most alarming alacrity and lack of consideration and consultation ever seen by any UK government- and nothing whatsoever to do with you.

You had your chance to demonstrate your role in changing policy over tuition fees. What did you do? Look a bit upset as you marched through the opposite voting door to the one you had pledged for…

You are getting public odium because a lot of slightly left leaning, well meaning people voted for you thinking they were following progressive people who would represrent their best interests. People who would come up with ideas that would help our country through its current struggle using a balanced approach to the things we need to address.

But what they have got is people who redefine the very concept of what is “progressive” to suit themselves, slash and burn, privatisation, unemployment, bankers bonuses, unfair taxation, tuition fees, dodgy immigration policies, cuts to the police, the NHS, local government, lack of access to justice, denigration of human rights issues caused by those nasty foreigners (or fellow Europeans as most of us think of them), fixing of election constituencies. fixing of no confidence rules on the present government, policies that adversely affect the sick, the poor, the old, the young and the disenfranchised.

There is of course the possibility of AV due to your being in government. But the problem is, and the clearest demonstration of your lack of influrence in actual government is, that you cannot even convince the party you are in governing with to support the small sop they gave you.

Hope this helps to explain better the flak you are getting you poor thing. How you must be suffering.

Congrats for hanging tough and stepping up to your historical responsibilities. It’s hard to compromise when all that the Party has done in the past has been ‘principled’ because there was never any chance of it ever having any power. The usual whiners and pseudo-ideologues don’t get it but that’s why they are always on the outside looking in. Always no matter who is forming the Government.
Hang in there. Only 4 more years to go. This period will be the highlight of your political life. And as for the detractors, you know what they say people who can’t take a joke should do, don’t you ? Just pretend you can actually say that to them. It WILL help.

I think the Lib Dems, had they been in opposition, would be furious at the NHS plans. Now they act as a shield to protect their tory bedfellows, as the NHS is dismantled and the pieces put out to tender.

I rather like the way government is being conducted. I would vote ‘coalition’ if I could!

I suppose that is what AV would most likely produce?

It is interesting that the State will now force those seeking to end their marriages to attend a form of mediation to seek to preserve the relationship. Will it send those government folk responsible for the ‘forced divorce’ for married trans folk (GRA) to training sessions to get them on-message that government is seeking to preserve family units in these more enlightened times?!

My point is, that the coalition has shown promising indications that it will be taking action on inequalities but the proof of the pudding………